Oklahoma History Chapter 13 Vocabulary

Vocabulary for Oklahoma History

• Armistice: A temporary cessation of hostilities in a conflict, often leading to negotiations for peace.
• Commonwealth: A self-governing political unit, often characterized by its elected officials and democratic practices.
• Conservation Laws: Legislation aimed at safeguarding natural resources and the environment from degradation and exploitation.
• De facto: Refers to the actual state of affairs, regardless of whether they are officially sanctioned or recognized.
• Draft: A mandatory process whereby individuals are enlisted for military service, often during times of war.
• Drayage: The transportation of goods over short distances, typically involving local deliveries.
• Earmarked: The act of designating funds or resources for a specific purpose or project.
• Gerrymandering: A strategic manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group, often compromising fair representation.
• Grandfather Clause: A legislative provision that allows individuals to bypass certain requirements (like literacy tests) based on ancestry or prior eligibility to vote.
• Headright: A system where each tribal member has a legal claim to a portion of the tribe's resources, particularly from land sales and mineral rights.
• Impeachment: The formal process of accusing a high-ranking official of misconduct, leading to a potential removal from office.
• Ordinance: A rule or regulation enacted by a local governing body, often addressing community-specific issues.
• Pandemic: An outbreak of a disease that spreads across a large geographic area, significantly affecting the population.
• Roustabouts: Individuals engaged in unskilled manual labor, often performing various tasks in industrial settings.
• Taxes: Financial charges imposed on individuals and businesses by government entities to fund public services and infrastructure.
• Biased: Possessing a subjective or prejudicial perspective towards something, often affecting impartiality.
• Tsunami: A series of large ocean waves typically caused by underwater earthquakes, which can lead to significant coastal destruction.